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Wednesday, June 13, 2007

The Submarine

The latest edition of the excellent Library magazine, The Submarine, is out shortly, and can be seen online here.

Page One features Librarian Tom McConville's thoughts on the popularity of fantasy fiction -

"Riding dragons or broomsticks, breathing underwater, flying, changingshape and talking to animals are all things that were possible in our childhoodimaginations, and reconnect us to childhood. Yet the quest aspect, as in all storytelling,symbolises life's reality: one leaves home (childhood and parents) to confrontand conquer demons (inner and outer), finding one s place in the world (significance)and rescuing one's prince or princess along the way (love). Thus oneachieves oneself, becoming a whole and unique adult, with the skills and independencenecessary for the adult world. (In case this sounds patronising I mightpoint out that many adults known to me personally are still on the way)."

Among the other features are :-

A review by Rowland Cooper of Christopher Paolini's Eragon (the 'Book of the Year' in our World Book Day questionnaire).

Several staff book recommendations (including Miss Kilfeather's recommendation of The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle)

An article by Rebecca Feeney-Barry on this year's fund-raising for a school telescope (via the extraordinary 24-hour run organised by Mr Coldrick),

An Irish cartoon by Poppy Vernon

Three staff reviews : Mr Richard Brett's of Amo, Amas, Amat ('Put a Little Latin in your Life') by Harry Mount ("The fact that this book has risen so high in the bestseller list is at first sight surprising. Perhaps its subtitle How to become a Latin Lover tempted some inadequate purchasers on the Internet"); Dr Jeremy Stone's of the controversial Atlas of Creation; and by Dr Garry Bannister of Greg Mortensen's Three Cups of Tea,